


'To Love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance’ - Feb 2020 Prompts

by shabootl



Series: February 2020 Prompt Set [14]
Category: Haikyuu!!, Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Angst, Anxiety Attacks, Peer Pressure, References to Depression, Supportive friend, Toxic Friendships, kuroko is a sweetheart, negative peer pressure, wow i didn't expect it to go in this direction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-19 12:55:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22711159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shabootl/pseuds/shabootl
Summary: Kageyama is benched on his last game at Kitagawa Daiichi, and he's crushed, worthless.After the game, Kuroko and Akashi approach him.Warning: Despite the title, this is not a happy/fluffy work. Can possibly be triggering for some people
Relationships: Kageyama & Akashi, Kageyama Tobio/Kuroko Tetsuya
Series: February 2020 Prompt Set [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1620526
Comments: 2
Kudos: 45





	'To Love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance’ - Feb 2020 Prompts

DAY FOURTEEN: ‘To Love oneself is the beginning of a life-long romance’

Fandom: Haikyuu!! X Kuroko no Basket

Pairing: Kageyama/Kuroko(Platonic), Kageyama/Akashi(toxic)

* * *

The teams lined up, thanked each other for the game, and shook hands.

All the sounds around Kageyama dulled. The boy whose hand he shook cleared his throat. Everyone else was already walking back toward their cheering sections to bow. Kageyama jerked his hand back, muttered an apology and joined his team for thanks, his eyes on the floor the entire time. He couldn’t look up at his classmates. He couldn’t afford to look at his former senpais, Oikawa and Iwaizumi. Not when he shamed himself so horribly.

Kageyama ignored any looks his teammates shot his way as they packed--mostly because the ones he did catch were full of animosity. He slung his sports bag over his shoulder, willing his chest to stop aching, heart to stop squeezing, mind to stop rushing. The bright lights of the ceiling, the backs of the teams uniforms, the cold shock that struck him. The court felt like a curse.

He waited until the entire team left the locker room before he truly let his shoulders shake and tears to truly fall. He strapped his hand to his mouth to stop the sounds of his sorrow leaking out. He’d never thought they’d ever hate him to the point of abandonment. Sure, he demanded perfection, but that was because he knew they were capable. Anyone was capable. They weren’t trying.  _ Or maybe they were? _

Is it too much to ask his teammates to push their limits? Didn’t everyone come to Kitagawa Daiichi to take volleyball seriously?

Kageyama started hyperventilating. He slid down onto the cold floor, trying to calm his heaving chest; it made the ache so much worse.

“Kageyama-kun.”

Kageyama’s heart nearly stopped as he jolted in shock. He whipped his head around to see a curious Kuroko staring at him. Ironically, the scare helped Kageyama’s breaths slow down a bit. Once meeting Kuroko’s eyes, Kageyama quickly glanced away. He and Kuroko weren’t particularly close, but they had known each other since elementary school.

Kuroko walked over to Kageyama, who was still on the floor.

“I was waiting outside for you. Akashi-kun told me to find you.”

_ Akashi-san? _ Kageyama’s panting slowly crept down to normal breathing.

“Yes,” Kuroko said. “I couldn’t find you so I came looking.”

Kageyama nodded stiffly. “Okay.”

“Kageyama-kun.” Kageyama forced himself to look up. “I saw your game with Akashi-kun earlier.”

Kageyama swallowed. Kuroko’s emotionless stare was unnerving. He wondered if Kuroko truly held his face that way on purpose.  _ But at least he’s not glaring at me _ . “You did?”

Kuroko nodded.

A weight fell in Kageyama’s stomach. He only had a handful of friends (more like acquaintances at this point) outside of volleyball, and two of them--Kuroko and Akashi-- had seen his shame. How many more would he lose? Kageyama closed his eyes and rested his hand back against a locker.

The sound of a door opening. Footsteps.

“Tobio.” Akashi’s voice cut through the silent room. Kageyama flinched. The last thing he needed was this. Kuroko was kind enough to fade from his side. Akashi, however, was pretty brutal.

Kuroko inhaled sharply. “Akashi-kun.” There was a slight edge to his voice. Odd, Kageyama had never heard anything other than Kuroko’s usual monotone.

Kageyama kept his eyes closed as Akashi’s footsteps grew closer.

“Tobio. Look at me.”

Kageyama couldn’t fight the command, and his head moved as though Akashi had him on a string. Akashi towered above him as he normally did, but now, with the added literal height difference, Kageyama felt like a pea.

But then, Akashi said something Kageyama had never expected anyone to ever say.

“You did well today, Tobio.”

Kageyama’s puffy eyes stretched painfully as they widened. “W--What?”

Akashi’s sharp eyes betrayed no humor, whatsoever.

“Your teammates were wrong to abandon you. And your coach is trash for allowing such behavior. That should not be tolerated on a skilled team.”

Behind Akashi, Kuroko’s face softened in hurt.

Kageyama opened his mouth. A strained sound came out before he could properly form words. “I yelled at them. They called me an oppressive king.” Kageyama’s hands turned to fists.

“You simply gave orders. They didn’t follow them. And as a result, your team lost. If you are a King, you simply have weak soldiers,” Akashi said, his voice solid and resolute. “You are correct to demand respect. You’ve grown tremendously from the beginning of the year. I’ve gained greater respect for you. Do not let those mediocre players make you think you are worthless.”

Kageyama’s head span. What in the world was going on? Kageyama had been slowly falling out of touch with Akashi in the past year.Akashi seemed different now, but he’d been watching him all this time? Did he truly still have a friend?

“I know who you are, Tobio.” Akashi’s voice speared through his thoughts. And they were the only words that echoed through his mind. “ _ You _ are better.”

_ I’m better? But… _ Kindaichi. Kunimi. Every team member's face popped in his mind. Their glares, their frustrations, and their relief when he was benched.  _ My head hurts. It all hurts. How could this be right? _

“Stand, Tobio.”

Kageyama obeyed. And even towering above Akashi, Kageyama still felt like he was looking up. Heterochromatic eyes froze him.

“Your knees will touch the ground for no one else,” Akashi said. “Do not forget where you stand.” And Akashi turned, and left the locker room.

Kageyama’s face suddenly felt cold, and he touched the back of his hand to tear-laden cheeks.

A hiccup, but it wasn’t from him.

Kuroko was still stood a few locker’s away. He’d cried so much that tiny puddles had accumulated on the tile at his feet. Like everything else about him, Kuroko’s sobs were quiet.

Kageyama took a hesitant step and Kuroko’s head snapped up. Where Kageyama thought would be sadness, turned out to be a furious expression.

“Don’t listen to him, Kageyama-kun,” Kuroko said.

_ Don’t listen…? _

“You think I’m worthless,” Kageyama said.

Kuroko’s lips pressed in a thin line. “No, Kageyama-kun. You are not worthless. But Akashi-kun is not well. He doesn’t care for others anymore. Please do not listen, Kageyama-kun.” Kuroko stepped forward. “The Akashi-kun I once knew valued others. When everyone thought I was worthless as a basketball player, he found something that only I could do on the court.”

Oikawa’s face flashed in Kageyama’s mind.

“Please, Kageyama-kun. Don’t believe in Akashi-kun. You are valuable on your own. Not because of your skills, but what you add to a team. Games are fun when everyone works together to score the points. I think I understand some of what your teammates felt on the court.”

Kageyama grimaced.

“But the anger they felt will fade, Kageyama-kun. Like me, I think they want the Kageyama you once were to come back. You are worth it Kageyama-kun. You just need to find your true self again. Please don’t hurt yourself. Please do not let Akashi-kun get to you.”

Over the course of his words, Kuroko’s face grew smoother and calmer, until all the emotion warmed from his eyes.

Kageyama took a shaky breath, and his chest slowly lightened. “Thank you, Kuroko-kun.”

**Author's Note:**

> I honestly had no idea what to write for this prompt. It's pretty grim for Valentine's day, but what can I say. It's important to take care of yourself. That's one of the greatest acts of love you can do.


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